Tanner Johnson is going places.
The Barron County grower was elected to serve on the nine-member American Soybean Association (ASA) executive committee during ASA’s December board meeting in St. Louis.
ASA is poised to address several policy issues in the coming year, including passing a new Farm Bill, continuing to advocate for farmer economic assistance following a 40% drop in soybean prices over the past two years, tax relief, defending the soy checkoff, protecting crop inputs and promoting growth throughout the biofuels industry. Johnson also serves on ASA’s regulatory committee.
Wisconsin farmer Don Lutz, who serves alongside Johnson on ASA, said his colleague is up to the task.
Johnson is an at-large director with the Wisconsin Soybean Association (WSA). A first-generation farmer, Johnson is a past ASA Young Leader and grows soybeans, corn, winter wheat, alfalfa hay and cover crop species in a no-till environment. He also owns and operates a Pioneer Seed agency and agronomy consulting business. He married his wife, Brittany, in 2023.
Established in 1920, ASA advocates on behalf of the nation’s nearly 500,000 soybean producers. George M. Briggs of Madison is the only Wisconsin farmer to have served as ASA president (1922-1923). Before he considers the possibility of becoming the second Wisconsin farmer to lead ASA, Johnson said he’s focused on the policy dynamics in 2025.
Johnson and WSA’s board will gather in February during the 2025 Wisconsin Corn·Soy Expo. The following month, Johnson will join ASA and WSA colleagues for ASA’s D.C. Hill Visits and board meetings.